How Does DU Handle the 1st Swiftboating Attempt of Obama...We Give the Fuck In to It!!!!!

[Bullet1987]

To ALL Obama Supporters:

Let's be clear about something, Barack Obama has never come close to sounding anything like Jeremiah fucking Wright! Ignore the damn Clinton trolls for a second, and the MSM and look at Barack Obama who you have supported from the beginning. Why is it that Democrats are always the first to buckle under pressure? The one positive thing I can say about the Rethugs is that they don't give a fuck what people think or say about them. We, as Obama supporters, may be turned off by Wright's comments...I know I am, but I'm also looking at the bigger picture of the difference between a President Obama and President McCain. Which would you prefer? Are you going to allow the fucking Right-Wing trash destroy your candidate in their swiftboating?

Here's an idea, why don't we wait for Obama to come on and speak for himself? Give him time to explain, but don't let the knee-jerk reactionists dictate your actions. Will this be a problem? Likely moreso in the General than the Primaries since the majority of the country has already voted and Obama has such a commanding lead. But when this pops up in the General again...what will you do? Will you agree with the swiftboating (and the Rethugs) or will you fight back against it to preserve your candidate? I could go into a whole socio-political commentary about the difference between Black churches and White churches, but I really don't feel like it. But being someone that has gone to both, I can tell you the cultures are VASTLY different! Black people as a whole have a very different point of view of America because their experiences have been different than that of Whites. The church was always the only place a Black person could do and say what he/she wanted without worrying about the outside world. Why do you think the Civil Rights Movement got started through Southern churches? Because that's where Black people were talking and developing their ideas about how to move forward in a very prejudiced pre-Civil Rights enviroment. I'm not excusing the remarks of Wright...but all I see on DU is Race Rage and very little...to no context being applied.

[yardwork]

1. I know. It's just incredible, isn't it?

I'm not even one of the guy's strongest supporters. I was a reluctant supporter. I'm just astounded at the wimpyness I've seen here in the past two days.

[NDambi]

2. PANIC MODE!! It's unbelievable. MAN UP, PEOPLE!

[Name removed]

3. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[justinsb]

4. I don't think DU has given in to it.

The Clinton supporters are posting it over and over but just because I say something alot doesn't mean that alot of people agree with me. This, IMO, is a non-issue unless Obama asks Wright to be VP

[SoFlaJet]

5. yesterday in a thread

we were talking about Geraldine Ferraro and were trying to understand why she is the way she is. I said I thought it was a by product of being where she is from (not far from where I'm from) and growing up when she grew up. In the Tri-state metropolitan area NY, NJ Conn people growing up in the 40's were separated by ethnic neighborhoods and the names they used against each other were some sort of protective clan thing. Two Sparkles and I got into a sub-thread talking about how OUR parents were racists-she called it "being raised by wolves". How WE came out of the houses we grew up NOT like our parents I chalk up to evolution. I totally agreed with the way I heard Obama explain his Reverend as "an uncle" that says things that you don't agree with but you don't throw him out of the house for it-you just have to understand where it is they came from

[Iceburg]

13. Obama chose this "uncle". He further chose to stay with him for 23 yrs

Obama has stated that Wright helps keep his priorities straight and his moral compass calibrated.

Using the ol uncle gambit -- doesn't wash. He cannot rub off the stains from his 23 year close relationship with a man that spews vitriolic white hate,misogyny and other incendiary commentary.

[SoFlaJet]

17. yea then how did I?

growing up in a house where words like nigger, spic, Pollocks, Jews, fags and queers get used everyday? I CHOSE to not be like that and my wife and I made a decision that those kinds of words were NOT to be used in our house in front of OUR children...were were NOT stained by the bigotry...unfortunately for you, YOU support a candidate that is all good and fine with race-baiting. I feel sorry for you

[stillcool]

48. Could you help me out ...

with the incendiary commentary that so offends you? I'm having a hard time locating it.

[JackORoses]

58. just like Hillary can never wash of the smell of the shit she has been wallowing in for years

[Arkansas Granny]

6. I would like to point out that some of the "Clinton trolls", as you call them, are expressing

real concern about this also. We realize that Obama might well be the Democratic nominee and we don't want this kind of stuff out there for the RW to use against him if he is indeed the one running against McCain in the GE. It's not just Obama supporters that see how dangerous this could be for our chances of getting a Democrat back in the White House. There are many on this board who have promised their vote and their support to Obama if he is our nominee. This affects all of us.

[Bullet1987]

9. I understand that...but that's why we need to be strong and fight back

[rodeodance]

52. I think it is a real concern--and will be for BO. He needs to address it now--not later!

[sandnsea]

7. Some DUers helped the swiftboating of Kerry too

Some Obama supporters who say Kerry didn't fight back, and are responding with shock at DUers response to this attack, also need to get a mirror. Every time somebody says Kerry didn't fight back, they're helping to swiftboat.

[writes3000]

8. "Very Little....to no conext being applied."

You are 100% correct about that.

There are people frothing at the mouth to say "Gotcha!"

I stand by Barack Obama 100%. This small-minded controversy won't undermine that.

[TwilightGardener]

10. I am surprised by all these "Obama supporters" who suddenly express

shock and dismay about this Wright shit. Jesus, it's just a preacher. Obama may be personally close to the man, but that doesn't mean he buys into the over-the-top stuff, the stuff that probably goes on in black churches and evangelical churches everywhere. If you took a video camera into a lot of churches, you'd hear all sorts of crazy shit, because some ministers like to rile people up. That's the whole point of fire and brimstone. The church itself (UCC), by the way, is a mainstream Christian denomination. There are things that sometimes disappoint me about Obama, but this just isn't one of them. I just don't see why anyone would care about someone's pastor. My Catholic priest believes women are subservient and thinks birth control is immoral, but I'm for women's equality and I don't have 8 kids, for God's sake.

[fbuzz]

19. He Gave Him Top Position In His Campaign

n/t

[TwilightGardener]

23. Can't see you, O Ignored One.

[dchill]

38. Since when does "Honorary" = "Top Position" ???

Your freeperwear is showing. (Don't look now.)

[C_U_L8R]

11. We're not entirely among friends

there are a lot of really nasty people here trying to make hay of
something that has only the thinnest thread of relevance
to the campaigns.. but is disgusting in its harvesting
of our very worst instincts. And we know exactly who they
are and exactly why they are doing it and how they are doing it.
It's really quite pathetic.

All I can say is thank god the Clintons are flushing themselves
down the drain of their own kitchen sink. Thank god.

[SoFlaJet]

15. oh man you are so right

people have gotten downright fucking mean to each other-I've been here for 7 years now and in the last few days FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER I have 4 people on ignore-because they are assholes. I mean we can agree to disagree on who we like and support but some have taken to making way out there assumptions about people's lives in threads in ways they have no idea of what they speak...they are ugly and unhappy people and I'm glad I'm not like them-say what you want about your candidate's opponent but do not pretend you know anything about the posters here

[JerseygirlCT]

36. Yes, unfortunately enlightening...nt

[Tarheel_Dem]

42. Agreed...it really is pathetic,

There are people who question why Obama has stuck by this man for 20 years. It's not good enough that Obama has clearly disavowed the more extreme views of the Reverend, it isn't good enough for those who only want to make political hay. They are hoping beyond hope that this will finally be what brings Obama down, and granted it may lose him some white support. I noticed a thread, started by what I thought was a loyal Obama supporter, now questioning her support for him. <sigh> Obama's not going to throw Rev. Wright under the bus, that's just not who he is, and that's one of the things I like about him.

Some say that Obama should have severed ties with the church. I would like Clinton supporters to consider for a moment, if we abandoned everyone who did or said something ridiculous, there's no way Bill Clinton would ever have been allowed to complete his final term in office. Once we found out that Bill, whom I still have "some" affection for, had actually lied & continued to lie about his extramarital affairs, we didn't all go running for the exits when we learned the truth, we stuck by him, and we stuck with the Democratic party, especially black folks because we knew that Bill Clinton was only flesh & blood. Is it too much to ask for the same consideration for Barack Obama? He, too, is only human and in his travels he has come across many people (as we all have) some good, and some not-so-good. I'll leave it to your good senses and to your humanity to figure out if you think Obama should now be thrown under that bus that you've called for him to throw the Rev. Wright under.

Will the Right try to make hay of this Wright thing? Of course, it's what they do. But for Obama's "supporters" to pile on and help them is just plain wrong. We may very well have to get used to the notion that this could damage him and he may lose the nomination, but let's not forget that he's still a wonderful man, husband, father, and friend; this is what people of all races, religions, ethnicities & political persuasions have come to love about him. Whatever Obama chooses to do in life, I think his future is extremely bright, and I don't think he would ever succumb to cynicism and negativity.

When you begin to doubt his committment to bringing this country together for the common good, just replay his 2004 convention speech and be inspired all over again. YES WE CAN!

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

12. Grow Up With Your Whole Clinton Troll Bit. It Makes You Look Really Stupid.

This is most definitely an issue that as Democrats we should have an interest in. It is most definitely something that could be used readily in the GE. We need to get our hands around it now, and part of that should be Obama completely disassociating himself with this guy and outright condemning the remarks.

We should all be running from this guy. He is bad news for us. This is as bad of a propaganda tool we could hand them. That's a fact. They could TOTALLY use this. We need to squash this asap. It's that simple.

[Bullet1987]

14. Some of them are acting like trolls...not all, but definently a loud and obnoxious handful

[uponit7771]

18. Some of the really sound like trolls, they rarely address straight foward qeustions

[ginnyinWI]

20. I thought he had already condemned the remarks some time ago.

At least that's what I saw reported on TV. The biggest fuss I've seen about this has been at DU, actually.

[Bullet1987]

22. He did...months ago...but will likely need to again to settle this shit

[HughMoran]

56. Agreed

The Obama people need to face reality - the Republicans will make Hillary look like a pushover.

[uponit7771]

16. ...mean while in reThuglavile they're patting McCaint on the back for taking the high road on the...

...preacher issue.

[TwilightGardener]

25. That's because he's got some preacher issues himself. He wants the Hagee

thing to go away.

[Mooney]

21. This isn't the first attempt. It's roughly the 20th attempt.

And they dumped it at the end of the week, with no primaries anywhere in sight, too. They can't even get their smear tactics right.

[Bullet1987]

24. LOL...I know

You would think they'd dump it right before PA...but I'm not celebrating yet. The Rethugs have shown their hand, now Obama will know how to handle it in the General.

[Mooney]

27. I'm not worried about any of this shit.

They're looking for big individual scandals at this point, and that doesn't work against an opponent who simply displays a calm, steady drive and momentum. Ironically, one such candidate was Bill Clinton --- they tried to stop him with scandal after scandal, but he just kept coming and didn't let it phase him. Obama seems to be doing the same thing.

[Bullet1987]

29. Roll with the punches...

[Mooney]

37. Exactly.

Ignore the small petty bullshit. As long as Hillary Clinton's campaign keeps inflicting wounds onto itself all he has to do is just keep going and not get fazed.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

26. And you can thank Hillary who, through Ferraro, put out the call to man the Swiftboats...

Un-fucking-believable!

[Bullet1987]

28. I don't know if I blame the Clinton camp for this

I blame the damn FAUX News though!!!

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

35. Maybe not directly, but Ferraro certainly opened the door for this kind of racial politics.

[From The Left]

30. Hillary Clinton has Played the Race Card for Months Now

[Texas Hill Country]

31. Obama CHOSE Wright...

The things that are causing the contoversy are fundamental to what differentiates that church from others....

Obama also didnt have to make this guy a central figure in his life... he could have just attended on the weekend and filtered out the stuff he disagreed with... but, no, this guy is his chosen mentor!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Bullet1987]

33. McCain CHOSE Hagee!!

[Texas Hill Country]

43. Yes, Yes he did... I dont like McCain... so... your point?

[From The Left]

44. Hillary Chose Geraldine the Klan Seamstress

[stillcool]

47. What exactly are you offended by?

Is it the way he looks, the way he talks, something he has said? I'm having a hard time understanding why I am supposed to be offended. I watched the video, but didn't see it. Perhaps I watched the wrong one?

[canuk1]

32. Obama needs to take gloves off

Clinton is staying silent on this. Its McCain. See oped in WSJ today. Its brutal against Obama. McCain's people are behind it. Obama needs to attack McCain. In 2000, McCain made fun of the religious right. Now he kisses their ass. Obama should call McCain a phony and point out the crazy things white pastors are saying (the ones who have endorsed him). Clinton will not attack Obama on this. It will be McCain. Obama needs to start hammering McCain. McCain will go nuts and lose his famous temper. People will see how dangerous McCain would be as president.

He should also expose the fact that McCain isn't religious at all. He really isn't. The MSM has ignored this fact, but the truth is McCain is not religious. He only pretends to be in order to get votes. GO ON THE ATTACK!!

[BlackVelvet04]

34. Reality bites sometimes....

Obama's words are really meaningless in the face of his actions of supporting this church for 20 years and having Wright as his personal mentor. When words don't match deeds look to the deeds for the truth.

[Bullet1987]

39. Obama's actions actually show that he is nothing like the man

Obama has worked to bring people together for a very long time. And I find it hard to believe Obama is racist against Whites (which is what people are implying with a severe lack of evidence) when he was raised by them.

[ecstatic]

40. This was my fear before I gave my full support to Obama: His shaky

new support. Would all the white people who claimed to be inspired by him remain true through the swiftboating, and my initial gut reaction was no. That's just based on a lifetime of observing race relations. And now when I see so many people getting jittery over this, it shows that I may have been right after all. This same battle will have to be fought if there is ever to be a president of color: Hello? Do you really think it's possible to live in a vacuum?

Now does this mean Hillary will now get my support? No! Her handlers re-released this story as a Part 2 to the Ferraro disaster. If she becomes the nominee due to her use of these tactics, she can forget about getting my vote. I don't care what the consequences are. If the worst off decide they want to vote based on race then they deserve what they get. I live a comfortable lifestyle and I suspect that will remain the case regardless of who is sworn in come January 2009.

[Bullet1987]

41. I wondered a while back how strong his support would be

if something nasty came up.

[Tarheel_Dem]

50. surely Obama knew about all these eventualities, and prepared for them.

He is nothing if not smart. I have faith that he can put this little "controversy" in its proper perspective, but he must move quickly, lest he be swiftboated by his own party.

[stillcool]

45. DU is doing the swift-boating...

and has been for quite a while. I can think of quite a few names that are largely responsible for pounding racial and religious divisiveness every chance they get. It must be the only way they think they can win the nomination.

[From The Left]

46. Bullet, You Have to Understand Something About this Forum

It has an unapologetic pro-Hillary bias

[Bullet1987]

49. I don't agree with that...

Most polls taken on here show that the majority of DUers, at least in this section, are for Obama over Clinton. Someone needs to start another poll though. I don't donate so I can't.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

51. you are wrong....most of the peeps in this forum are Obama supporters at least 85/90%

[goldcanyonaz]

53. LOL! This forum is very pro Obama.

[HughMoran]

54. Pot, meet kettle

You guys are a fucking joke - I try no to laugh out loud when I read such utter hypocritical bullshit!!

[Bullet1987]

55. What's hypocritical?

[HughMoran]

57. The Obama people SAVAGE CLINTON ON A DAILY BASIS HERE

If you can't see that, then there is no point in giving your post more than a causal "flip-off"

[Bullet1987]

59. I never said Clinton wasn't attacked here...I'm defending my candidate

Clinton supporters I would think defenders theirs.

[HughMoran]

61. I'm defending Obama on this as well

I think it's stupid to tear him up over this issue. I also think that Obama need to address this issue, lest it fester and infect his entire campaign come the fall.

[SeaLyons]

60. There really is nothing Obama can say

that will change the heart and mind of people that find his pastor and church offensive. Sorry, that will applies to millions of Americans. He cannot erase his past affiliation with the man or the church. He cannot say ANYTHING to make it right.

[Bullet1987]

62. According to YOU maybe...but we have weeks before PA

and I'm sure Obama will still be strong in NC and other states. Just because you say something doesn't make it true.

[apocalypsehow]

63. Hear, hear. K & R.

:thumbsup: